River Oaks Theatre
Calumet City,
IL
60409
8 people
favorited this theater
The original one screen River Oaks Dimension 150 Theatre was opened in 1969 by ABC Great States Theaters. It had 1,600 rocking chair seats, a large curved screen, auditorium lights on the sides of theater that were dimly lit during intermission, and a giant curtain that opened from both sides at the middle. This theater was classy to say the least. It’s premiere attraction was “100 Rifles” with Jim Brown and Raquel Welch.
During the 1970’s 70mm & stereo sound was installed which only added to the great experience. Every major event film opened there and if you had a choice to see the same film there or at one of the bland, non stereo sound General Cinemas in Northwest Indiana, you usually took the drive to Calumet City.
“Airport 1975”, “Logan’s Run”, “King Kong”, “Star Wars”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Superman” were all films my family chose to see there. Every experience was a great one. I can remember seeing “Aliens” there and the sound was so loud my ears rang after the movie. That was the first and only time that has ever happened.
The area is not as safe as it once was but I still took in a movie on rare occasions (both of the new “Star Wars” films, “Titanic”, and “Spiderman”) but the management seemed to care little about its appearance. The curtains remain open all the time. The side lights are never used and now the flood lights the cleaning crew uses are turned on before and after the movie. Unfortunately when the flood lights are turned on you cannot see the credits on the screen. The rocking chairs were removed in 1994.
This theater closed in January 2006.
Contributed by
John
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 227 comments)
I would have gone with Leon (then known as The Professional) for Thanksgiving 1994.
And some titles that I noticed in the photos provided by Cinemark:
The Shining
A View To A Kill
Pale Rider
Scarface
Star Wars
Return Of The Jedi
Hamlet (1990)
The Fly
All The Right Moves
Return Of The Living Dead
All Of Me
Back To The Beach
Fletch
It was such a big deal to go to RO for a movie. Normally we would go to the Nortown in Chicago heights or theDiana in Washington Mall, the Park Forest, or Brementown mall.
But if the movie was just opening, it was either River Oaks or Lincoln Mall
Cinemark – to answer your questions as best I can, the first photo is definitely not the 1-4 lobby. If it is River Oaks it looks like 5-6 because when you walked in and turned an immediate left, there were posters lining the wall on the right. So the pic would be from the opposite side with the entrance doors down the hall and behind the staff and off camera on the right.
As far as the Pacino poster? I would bet on SCARFACE. Remember he did very few movies in the 80’s and that would have been the biggest. The only other possibility? CRUISING.
There is no way to see what the movie on #4 is because you can’t read the sign clearly because of the angle. You can tell it isn’t A VIEW TO A KILL though that IS the poster. But back then the Now Showing Posters were outside and not in the lobby. The movie was definitely coming soon. If I had to guess as to the movie playing based on the letters of the sign it COULD be BREWSTERS MILLIONS.
Hope that helps.
River Oaks Theatres Timeline:
1969: Theatre 1 opened with 1600 rocking chair seats by the ABC Great States chain. It’s premiere was “100 Rifles” with Jim Brown and Raquel Welch.
1972: Theatre 2 is opened across the street from theatre 1 by the ABC Great States chain. It had 500 seats (but not rocking chair). It’s premiere was “What’s Up Doc” with Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal.
1974: ABC Great States becomes Plitt Theatres.
1975: Theatre 3 opens adjacent to Theatre 2 by Plitt Theatres. It also sat 500 seats. It’s premiere attraction was “Once Is Not Enough”.
1977: “Star Wars” opens.
1978: Theatre 4 opens adjacent to Theatre 1 by Plitt Theatres. It had 900 rocking chair seats like Theatre 1. It’s premiere attraction was “Magic” starring Anthony Hopkins.
1980: “The Empire Strikes Back” is released.
1980: Theatres 5 and 6 opened by Plitt Theatres. It had 500 seats each. It was located a few blocks away from the other theatres.
1983: “Return Of The Jedi” is released.
1983: Theatres 7 and 8 opened by Plitt Theatres. Its premiere movies were “The Dead Zone” with Christopher Walken and “Rumble Fish” starring Matt Dillon.
1986: Plitt Theatres become Cineplex Odeon Theatres.
1988: Cineplex Odeon opens a 6-screen theatre inside the mall. Theatres 1 and 4 become 9 and 10; Theatres 5 and 6 become 11 and 12; 2 and 3 (for a time) became 13 and 14; 7 and 8 retain their numbering.
1990: Theatres 13 and 14 close.
1998: Cineplex Odeon Theatres become Loews/Cineplex Theatres
1998: Theatres 11 and 12 close.
1999: “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menance” opens.
2002: “Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones” opens
2005: “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith” opens
Fall, 2005: Theatres 7 and 8 close.
January, 2006: Theatres 1-6, 9 and 10 close a day before Loews/Cineplex became AMC Theatres.
June, 2006: Jenco Theatres(the owners of the nearby Lansing Cinema 8) reopens Theatres 1-6.
November, 2007: Theatres 1-6 starts showing second-run movies.
2008: Theatres 1-6 close again.
Why are they saying 1600 seats? Unless they are including the addition next door that is way off. The Motion Picture Herald article shown says 1200. I think that is probably rounded up a bit but no way to 1600.
If anyone has any knowledge of whatever crew Loews Cineplex sent in to clear stuff out when this theatre closed (just before AMC took over) I would like you to contact me. I’m trying to find out where some items went. Please drop me an email at screen(AT)filmteknik(DOT)com Thanks!
Cinemark=. The Lobby 4 photo is not A View to a Kill. A View to a Kill Played at 2-3 across the street near Denny’s. I went to see that movie soooo much. Oh and the first Photo is of 5-6 with the long hallway. I saw Dreamscape and Return of the Living Dead there Then had some Mcdonalds right around the corner. Them were the days.
During December in the late 1970s a local charity rented out what used to be called #1 (back when there were only three theaters) and they played the 1970 musical Scrooge which starred Albert Finney. I had never seen it before so I watched and danced along as much as I could. Watching that film has become a holiday event in my house. The DVD gets a workout. I’m glad I got to see it in the big theater in all its glory. That’s a very fond River Oaks memory.
Notice this theater is listed as Having One screen. It did start out as 1 screen and later had another screen added. Riveroaks 1-4 closed as a two screen theater.
In the beginning there was the River Oaks theater. Then the much smaller River Oaks 2&3 theaters were built across the street. After that, a small theater was built attached to the original River Oaks. That made River Oaks 4 and that’s when I moved on. What was build after that and where in the mall is unknown to me. Hope this helped. —Fred